Rural Healthcare Quality – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Healthcare Quality.
Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2024 Eligibility and Participation Quick Start Guide
Provides an overview of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligibility criteria. Addresses calculation of the low-volume threshold exclusion at the individual and group levels, opt-in and voluntary reporting options, and the impact of special status designations such as rural and small practices.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides an overview of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligibility criteria. Addresses calculation of the low-volume threshold exclusion at the individual and group levels, opt-in and voluntary reporting options, and the impact of special status designations such as rural and small practices.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating: Overview for Flex Programs, Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Stakeholders
Provides an overview of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Overall Hospital Star Ratings posted on the CMS Care Compare website. Describes the methodology for the Overall Hospital Star Ratings, including information on measure selection, measure grouping, measure group scores and hospital scoring, and peer grouping and star rating assignment. Discusses the implications these ratings have on Critical Access Hospitals and other small rural hospitals.
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Provides an overview of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Overall Hospital Star Ratings posted on the CMS Care Compare website. Describes the methodology for the Overall Hospital Star Ratings, including information on measure selection, measure grouping, measure group scores and hospital scoring, and peer grouping and star rating assignment. Discusses the implications these ratings have on Critical Access Hospitals and other small rural hospitals.
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Final Frontier: IPC Challenges in Rural Health Care
Podcast interview with Dr. Michael Stevens, West Virginia University Health System's Healthcare Epidemiologist. Addresses difficulty in accessing mentoring in infection prevention and control (IPC) in rural facilities, and disconnects between local needs and upper-level mandates. Includes transcript.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organizations: American Medical Association, CDC's Project Firstline
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Podcast interview with Dr. Michael Stevens, West Virginia University Health System's Healthcare Epidemiologist. Addresses difficulty in accessing mentoring in infection prevention and control (IPC) in rural facilities, and disconnects between local needs and upper-level mandates. Includes transcript.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organizations: American Medical Association, CDC's Project Firstline
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Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2024 Reporting MIPS Quality Measures through Medicare Part B Claims Quick Start Guide for Small Practices
Provides details on how small practices can report quality measures through Medicare Part B claims measures. Highlights changes to these measures in 2024, score redistribution policies for small practices, and information for clinicians at Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Provides details on how small practices can report quality measures through Medicare Part B claims measures. Highlights changes to these measures in 2024, score redistribution policies for small practices, and information for clinicians at Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Alternative Payment Models in the Quality Payment Program as of December 2023
A set of three tables that list brief information about Alternative Payment Models (APMs) that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) operates or has announced, as of December 2023. Identifies Advanced APMs, Merit Based Incentive Program (MIPs) APMs, and Other Payer Advanced APMs, which include Medicaid Other Payer Advanced APMs, Medicare Health Plan Payment Arrangements, and commercial payment arrangements.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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A set of three tables that list brief information about Alternative Payment Models (APMs) that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) operates or has announced, as of December 2023. Identifies Advanced APMs, Merit Based Incentive Program (MIPs) APMs, and Other Payer Advanced APMs, which include Medicaid Other Payer Advanced APMs, Medicare Health Plan Payment Arrangements, and commercial payment arrangements.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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2023 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
Provides a comprehensive summary and data analysis of healthcare quality and access in the U.S. Addresses access to healthcare, patient safety, person-centered care, care coordination, effective treatment, healthy living, and care affordability. Focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare and healthcare systems.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Provides a comprehensive summary and data analysis of healthcare quality and access in the U.S. Addresses access to healthcare, patient safety, person-centered care, care coordination, effective treatment, healthy living, and care affordability. Focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare and healthcare systems.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Advancing Value-Based Payment Policies Relevant to Rural Areas – Continued Challenges and New Opportunities
Discusses lessons from the recent public health emergency, rising health care costs, improved quality measurement, and innovative technologies on the transition from volume-based payment to value-based payment. Outlines potential policy opportunities for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center model design and CMS program inclusion to expand rural-appropriate opportunities to participate in the transition to value-based care. Builds on the 2020 publication How to Design Value‐based Care Models for Rural Participant Success: A Summit Findings Report.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Discusses lessons from the recent public health emergency, rising health care costs, improved quality measurement, and innovative technologies on the transition from volume-based payment to value-based payment. Outlines potential policy opportunities for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center model design and CMS program inclusion to expand rural-appropriate opportunities to participate in the transition to value-based care. Builds on the 2020 publication How to Design Value‐based Care Models for Rural Participant Success: A Summit Findings Report.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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2022 National and State Healthcare-Associated Infections Progress Report
Examines progress on reducing healthcare-associated infection rates for 6 types of infections in Acute Care Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities, and Long-term Acute Care Hospitals. Compares observed versus expected infection rates using 2015 baseline data. Includes national and state data tables on infection-specific standardized infection ratios (SIRs) and standardized utilization ratios (SURs) for each facility type.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Examines progress on reducing healthcare-associated infection rates for 6 types of infections in Acute Care Hospitals, Critical Access Hospitals, Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities, and Long-term Acute Care Hospitals. Compares observed versus expected infection rates using 2015 baseline data. Includes national and state data tables on infection-specific standardized infection ratios (SIRs) and standardized utilization ratios (SURs) for each facility type.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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CY 2024 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Final Rule (CMS 1786-FC)
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2024. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to the community mental health centers (CMHC) Conditions of Participation (CoPs); payment for intensive outpatient program (IOP) services; payment methodology for Indian Health Service (IHS) and tribal facilities that convert to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) status; the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; and more.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2024. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to the community mental health centers (CMHC) Conditions of Participation (CoPs); payment for intensive outpatient program (IOP) services; payment methodology for Indian Health Service (IHS) and tribal facilities that convert to Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) status; the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; and more.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Overview: Vendor Directory
Provides information about the benefits and challenges of implementing a HCAHPS survey process in small rural hospitals, specifically Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Includes a full directory of vendors currently authorized to perform HCAHPS data collection.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Provides information about the benefits and challenges of implementing a HCAHPS survey process in small rural hospitals, specifically Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Includes a full directory of vendors currently authorized to perform HCAHPS data collection.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Last Updated: 11/20/2024